Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

ALASKA PACIFIC HALIBUT FISHERIES:

SUBSISTENCE REGISTRATION AND MARKING OF GEAR

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0460

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE: Add field to indicate verifier relationship to applicant on Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (SHARC) Application For A Rural Resident.

The United States (U.S.) and Canada participate in the International Pacific Halibut Commission and promulgate regulations governing the Pacific halibut fishery under the authority of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act). Regulations governing the allocation and catch of halibut in U.S. Convention waters that are in agreement with the Halibut Act may be developed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council). Regulations recommended by the Council must be approved by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) before being implemented through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

In October 2000, the Council adopted a halibut program that recognizes the Alaska subsistence halibut fishery. This program was approved by the Secretary and regulations that carry out this program have been in effect since May 15, 2003. The regulations that govern the subsistence halibut fishery can be found at 50 CFR Part 300.

Subsistence halibut is halibut caught by an eligible rural resident or a member of an Alaska Native tribe for direct personal or family consumption as food, sharing for personal or family consumption as food, or for customary trade.

A person must register as a subsistence halibut fisher and possess a valid subsistence halibut registration certificate (SHARC) in his or her name issued by NMFS before he or she begins subsistence fishing for halibut in waters in and off Alaska. A rural SHARC may not be issued to anyone who has not maintained a domicile within the municipal or census boundaries for an eligible rural community or within a described rural area for 12 consecutive months prior to the date of application. A rural SHARC may not be issued to anyone who is claiming residency in another state, territory, or country.

This change request would add a field to the SHARC application to indicate the relationship of a verifier to the applicant. This is necessary because we receive requests from people with the same last names and we don't know if they are family members or not some family members are not allowed to be verifiers.

There will be no burden or cost change tor this information collection.